Looking over his email with the month’s new accessions to the 192nd Student Flight roster, Senior Master Sgt. Rick Dumas, 192nd Wing recruiting & retention superintendent, may have noticed a line for Rick Dumas. There’s no need to call his wife, Senior Airman Michelle Dumas, 192nd Communications Flight client systems technician, there is nothing wrong with his email.
The new recruit is their son.
Asked about whether he considered other branches, Trainee Dumas said, “It was a goal since I was young. I was always supposed to come here. It was always Air Force, always.”
About 25 family members and Airmen from the wing in total stopped by to witness the enlistment.
“I feel super excited; I feel super proud,” said Senior Airman Dumas. “I know how great the Virginia Air National Guard is, and now he gets to be a part of this awesome family here. I’m just looking forward to seeing him do some great things for this organization.”
If he succeeds in his goal of training for communications, Trainee Dumas could serve in the same flight as his mother.
Lt. Col. Pamela Garner, 192nd Support Squadron commander, performed the oath of enlistment.
“I am so excited about being a part of enlisting second generation Dumas,” said Garner. “I am humbled and totally excited about it. And the fact that he’s desiring to come into the Comm AFSC is really overwhelming. It means a lot when a recruiter’s child says I want to do the same thing as my parents.”
Trainee Dumas’ parents met each other as teenagers and were married before either of them joined the VaANG.
“We realized the Air National Guard was a great avenue to grow as individuals and a family and that the VaANG was a place to call home and see our son work towards a future in,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dumas.
Trainee Dumas is still a senior in high school, so he’ll attend Basic Military Training upon graduation.